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Product: Laptop carrying case
Developer: WaterField
Minimum Requirements: 12” PowerBook/iBook, 13” MacBook, 13” MacBook Air, 15” MacBook Pro, or 17” MacBook Pro
Retail Price: $169 to $189 (see pricing details)
Availability: Out now

To look at the Racer-X laptop bag from WaterField, you wouldn’t think it would run upwards of $190. In fact, when I showed it to a colleague of mine, he said just that; “It’s not worth it.” But he doesn’t speak for all of us. First, he’s a PC user, and that’s a different mindset than those of us protecting the more expensive Apple laptops. Second, he made the comment based solely on the outward appearance of the Racer-X. And whereas it is sharp looking, it’s mostly nylon, not leather. It’s not a hard case. It doesn’t offer a locking mechanism. So, what does the Racer-X feature to justify the premium cost? Quite a bit, actually. Quite a bit.

Because you’ll be carrying it.

First of all, it’s a really good looking case. Coming only in black with your choice of trim colors (black, blue, brown, green, red and silver), it’s quite professional looking, but not dull. The exterior material (1050 custom ballistic nylon) is accented with a single stripe of leather along the front exterior pocket, and you have your choice of dual leather handles or a single “mountain bike” grip handle.

The back of the case also contains an open pocket with the odd addition of a zippered opening at the bottom. Someone will have to explain to me why a permanently open pocket would also need a second zippered opening, because I haven’t found a way to make that useful.*

Of course, the exterior also sports latches for the wide, padded shoulder strap, properly staggered so the case fits against you in a comfortable manner when carrying it over your shoulder.

Because you’ll be using it.

The Racer-X comes ready to keep your laptop safe while also providing a decent amount of room for your other accessories.

The laptop compartment is at the back of the case, and is surrounded by plush neoprene, foam and impact-resistant plastic. Because the fit is sized specifically for your particular MacBook (12” PowerBook/iBook, 13” MacBook/MacBook Air, 15” MacBook Pro or 17” MacBook Pro), the Racer-X offers fantastic insurance against drops and bangs. The plastic shell built into the case provides hard-case quality protection, while the snug, form-fitting plush material that lines the compartment keeps your laptop comfortably cushioned (and scuff-free) at all times. What’s more, the hard plastic pieces are removable, so they could be replaced if damaged. I’ll take that over your traditional hard case, which has to be completely replaced if banged up too badly.

The second, wider compartment offers room and special pockets for your mouse, power pack and cables, shoulder strap, cell phone, etc. There’s not a ton of room in there, so those who don’t travel lightly may still find themselves in need of a second bag, but what you can fit will be well protected. Each wall of the compartment has various pockets (wide mesh on one side, two rows of smaller expandable pockets on the other. This compartment even features an attached lanyard, to which you can attach keys, flash drives, your iPod, or other items you’d like to keep handy.

Because you’ll be needing it.

I can’t comment too much on the durability of the Racer-X, as I’ve only been using it for about a month. You’d need to talk to me again in a year to get a fair assessment about that. But I can say that the stitching and zippers have been solid, and the ballistic nylon exterior has stood up well against possible scuffs and scratches. For that reason alone, I prefer this design over plastic or leather any day.

Because you’ll be buying it.

Despite my enthusiasm for the Racer-X, I can’t recommend it wholeheartedly for two reasons. First, the price is a bit steep for a laptop case. That’s not to say it’s not worth it, but rather that some you will be able to spend $50 less and be equally satisfied. Second, because of the custom fit, this case may not grow with you. If you’re upgrading from an old white Macbook to new aluminum MacBook, no problem. But if you decide that now’s the time to move up to a 15” or 17” MacBook Pro, you’re out of luck. Time to get a new case. Of course, considering the resale value of Macs, you could probably make some of that money back by selling the case along with your old laptop on ebay. At the least, it’ll help your auction stand above any others.

Because you’ll be loving it.

But that’s quite a ways off. For now, if you’re looking for a laptop bag that offers solid protection, compact design and sharp looks, you’re going to get all of that with Waterfield’s Racer-X.

* My contact at Waterfield explained this to me. In her words: “The zippered back pocket is so that you can slide the Racer-X over your wheelie suitcase when rushing through the airport. We’ll be adding that feature to our Cozmo soon as well (by customer request). For those who don’t need that feature, they can keep the pocket closed and use it as they would any other pocket.” Hearing this, I should have probably figured it out from the product photos on their website.